Is Disneyland really about happiness now?

[Disneyland Lover]

It seems DL is just about the money for the company these days, crapyer rides and less too!!! Your thoughts...

[sorceress1986]

Well, I have to say I partially agree. There is that definite greed of the Company working, but you know there are Imagineers and some people working for the company and even not working within the company who are trying to work against that in any way possible and if you look hard enough you'll see their efforts. With the park ridden with greed, it's hard to see, but it's there...

[Momzilla59]

Corporations exist to make money for their stockholders. Disney is no different. Previous management did a lot to mess things up. Now that Matt's in charge I bet we see a Lot more happiness!
and a Lot more fresh Paint!

[Michelle]

I'm still happy when I go, and I'm sure that the kids aren't so distracted by corporate greed and uncreative rides that it ruins the fun.

[BigPigletFan]

I'm still happy when I go, and I'm sure that the kids aren't so distracted by corporate greed and uncreative rides that it ruins the fun.

I agree. I am actually writing a paper about this for my writing class. I have to finish it tonight. I am specifically writing about the marketing of the 50th and what Disney is really selling. Trust me, I love this company and what it stood/stands for... but I understand what they are marketing at the same time too!

[cellarhound]

I don't know... DL is still the only place I know where people pay money to wear silly hats they would not be caught dead in otherwise... They collect pins like no tomorrow... They pay a truck load of cash to eat at a private dining room...

DL needs to be profitable... And it needs to be the "Happiest place on Earth"... I think you can be both... But it doesn't mean you can Insult the public...

[dramaqueen]

Still makes me happy...........

[AdventureLandJaggy]

I still feel the happiness I always have, seems that once I even enter the Mickey & Friends parking structure then I become happier.. as well as much more excited. That never fades throughout the day, I only get a headache from the constant loud sounds.. but that's what Tylonal is for!

No worries, even if there are crowds.. because I know it could be worse... I could be taking orders in a drive thru that day.

[Formerly Code V]

It is a business, and the shareholders put alot of pressure on the whole company to turn a profit. On the same token I think, they still understand that they are in the business of making people happy and the day they forget that people will not want to buy Disney stuff or go to the parks. Even though they kinda have...

[Flint]

There's a lot of Happiness still left... but I think Diseny needs to really look at their priorities and make some decisions.

[dshimel]

Any corporation is about profit....

We can't control the motivation of the company. All we can do is reward what we like. When a company rolls out low quality crap, we should not buy it. When they roll out something we like, we need to make sure it is profitable for them.

Many people complain about the APs going up 50% or so in the last year. Well, we're getting the paint and better shows and refurbs and many of the other things we've been asking for.... Now, are we willing to pay more for the better product, to ensure profits go up, to ensure we get more of the same.....

[yensid1987]

[ModHatter]

Here's one thing CM Matt knows and, for some reason, his predecessors did not. Maybe it's from his experience in the Disney Cruiselines... Disneyland isn't like a retail store where people go to buy things they need, no matter how happy or unhappy they are. Disneyland is a tourist locale, and happy tourists spend more money than unhappy tourists.

Tourism is a luxury business. It doesn't follow the same rules. It is the epitome of the old saying, "You've got to spend money to make money." Spending $50 million every 2 or 3 years on a new E ticket can easily earn you $150 million in ticket sales alone. Then you add resort hotel stays, food and merchandise sales, increased revenue from sponsors attracted by a successful park... The WORST business decision in the tourism industry is stinginess.

That was, sadly, the decision in the past. But Disneyland had decades of magic to hold it afloat until someone could come along and invest in it again. The magic was always there, hibernating away from the crowd, but you could always find it if you looked.

[DoppelV]

I think, despite some of the companies shortcomings and poor management choices, Disneyland is still a happy place. That concept gets a little foggy with astronomical food prices, tarps, barriers, and other things. However, when standing in the plaza before opening and watching the anxious masses, listening to the Disney classics on the soundtrack and awaiting the Band, you can't help but feel happier.
The rides and shows are still enjoyable, come on, who doesn't feel happier while seeing the ghostly ballroom or enjoying the majestic colors in "it's a small world"? The company has proven time and time again, it's problems cannot defeat the happiness of Walt's golden dream!

[ModHatter]

Talk about timing... Thank you SaveDisney.

From the Great One himself.....

"Do a good job. You don't have to worry about the money; it will take care of itself. Just do your best work - then try to trump it."

--- Walt Disney

[Guest]

well I'm still happy when I go & I tend to frequent either DL or WDW
every year or two (we live in Colorado)

BUT ...................

there are some things that Disney does that I highly doubt Walt would
appreciate if still with us today.

1) Cost of food- RIP OFF
2) Fantasmic Buffet - RIP OFF !!! RIP OFF !!
$50.00 for dessert :confused: and a good seat to Fantasmic ?
"lets screw the public" they will pay for anything Disney....

I degress

[dshimel]

"Do a good job. You don't have to worry about the money; it will take care of itself. Just do your best work - then try to trump it."

--- Walt Disney

Losing sight of this is exaclty where I think the company has gone wrong....

I was enrolled in an MBA program for awhile. Business Management in college courses assumes that the product is irrelivant. They spend all their time talking about stream-lining production, about market segments and product diferentiation, about trimming costs and better use of accounting....

NO WHERE in an MBA program are you tought to manage product creation... about how your company can make better products and dominate...

Or, para-phrasing "The Dilbert Principal" (awesome book showing just how silly business really is).... One pruduct can be the best quality. One product can be the best value. Rarely are their product lines where there are only 2 products..... For everyone else there is marketing.

MBA programs teach the people that don't have the best (quality or value) product how to make money off their inferior product. MBA programs don't teach managers how to make their products the best.....

Disney now has TOO many MBAs and not enough artists. The treat animation like they are mass producing toasters. They treat the parks like they are mass producing t-shirts and silly hats. They treat TV like they are mass-producing hammers. They focus on managing the process rather than producing the best product.

I don't mind that they are focused on max profit... It is the natural state of any corporation. I just think they are going about it the wrong way.... focusing on PROCESS of mass production or average products rather than focusing on the high quality PRODUCT that you want to be the result of the process.

I don't care if a movie is CGI or traditional animated.... I care that it is a great story with great characters that I really enjoy watching.

I don't care if a ride is a clone or one-of-a-kind. I care that it is fun to ride and highly repeatable.

I don't care if a TV show fits a formula. I care that it is enjoyable and makes me not want to miss the next episode.

Take care of the product, and the process is less important. Focus on the process of producing more and cheaper, and the product will suck.

[fkurucz]

It seems DL is just about the money for the company these days, crapyer rides and less too!!! Your thoughts...

FWIW....

DL is a premium product. You don't get discount coupons for it at the local Del Taco nor on soda pop cans. Management is aware of this, which is why it is getting fixed up.

Management is definitely seeking higher profits. There are a few ways to do this. One way is the way the previous management tried, which in the end cheapens the brand and leads to discounting (super cheap flex passes, SoCal two-fers, etc.). The other way involved investing in the park and maintaining a level of quality that attracts higher spending customers.

That said, there will always be pressure to control costs. The question is on how to do this. One way is to be efficient and make wise decisions (1 oz of prevention equals one pound of cure). A good attraction, while costing more, will attract more attendance, will last longer (Rocket Rods anyone?) and won't have to be toen down prematurely. It is possible to be eficient in operations without compromising quality. It is hard to do however. For this reason it pays to listen to CM's, who no doubt can think of many ways to make things better without spending more money.

[fkurucz]

Losing sight of this is exaclty where I think the company has gone wrong....

I was enrolled in an MBA program for awhile. Business Management in college courses assumes that the product is irrelivant. They spend all their time talking about stream-lining production, about market segments and product diferentiation, about trimming costs and better use of accounting....

NO WHERE in an MBA program are you tought to manage product creation... about how your company can make better products and dominate...

MBA programs teach the people that don't have the best (quality or value) product how to make money off their inferior product. MBA programs don't teach managers how to make their products the best.....

I think that you should have stayed for the strategy class. I wrote a paper on why WDW and DLR need to focus on their quality as their competitive advantage. I got an A on that paper too,.

[Druggas]

When you can sell a dream to people, you've passed marketing 101.